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Tests may lead to doubling of fuel cell life
May 23, 2013 | Comments
To improve fuel cell module durability and predict longevity, researchers are studying the degradation mechanisms of the fuel cells that occur under real-world transit bus conditions. While quantifying the effects of electrode degradation stressors in the operating cycle of the bus on the membrane lifetime, the team has discovered links between electrode degradation and membrane durability.
Airborne laser reveals hidden city in Cambodia
June 19, 2013 1:08 am | by Kristen Gelineau, Associated Press | Comments
Laser technology has uncovered a network of roadways and canals, illustrating a...
Broad Institute an early adopter of Agilent’s new liquid-handling system
June 18, 2013 7:15 am | Comments
Agilent Technologies Inc. this week announced that the Broad Institute in Cambridge,...
Silicon-based nanoparticles could make LEDs cheaper, greener
June 13, 2013 8:07 am | Comments
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are the most efficient and environmentally friendly light bulbs...
What do memories look like?
June 20, 2013 8:44 am | CommentsOscar Wilde called memory “the diary that we all carry about with us.” Now a team of Univ. of Southern California scientists has developed a way to see where and how that diary is written. The team engineered microscopic probes that light up synapses in a living neuron in real time by attaching fluorescent markers onto synaptic proteins—all without affecting the neuron’s ability to function.
Sound waves precisely position nanowires
June 20, 2013 8:31 am | CommentsThe smaller components become, the more difficult it is to create patterns in an economical and reproducible way, according to an interdisciplinary team of Penn State Univ. researchers who, using sound waves, can place nanowires in repeatable patterns for potential use in a variety of sensors, optoelectronics and nanoscale circuits.
A battery made of wood?
June 20, 2013 7:49 am | CommentsA sliver of wood coated with tin could make a tiny, long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly battery. But don’t try it at home yet—the components in the battery tested by scientists at the Univ. of Maryland are a thousand times thinner than a piece of paper. Using sodium instead of lithium makes the battery environmentally benign, but it doesn't store energy as efficiently, so you won’t see this battery in your cell phone.
Reported: First entanglement between light and optical atomic coherence
June 20, 2013 7:36 am | CommentsUsing clouds of ultracold atoms and a pair of lasers operating at optical wavelengths, researchers have reached a quantum network milestone: entangling light with an optical atomic coherence composed of interacting atoms in two different states. The development could help pave the way for functional, multimode quantum networks.
South Korean nuclear operator raided in cable probe
June 20, 2013 3:50 am | by YOUKYUNG LEE - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | CommentsSouth Korea's sole nuclear power plant operator said Thursday that investigators raided its offices, a sign that a probe into faulty nuclear plant cables is widening. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. spokesman Lee Yoon-doing said prosecutors seized documents and computer hard drives from at least four of the company's offices, including its headquarters in southeastern Gyeongju.
Leading 3-D printer firms to merge in $403M deal
June 19, 2013 7:08 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsStratasys, a leading maker of 3-D printers, is buying another 3-D printer manufacturer, MakerBot, for $403 million in stock. Stratasys Ltd. says the acquisition will enable it to offer affordable desktop 3-D printers. MakerBot's owners will receive 4.76 million newly issued Stratasys shares and are eligible for another 2.38 million through the end of 2014 if certain performance targets are met.
Less is more: Novel cellulose structure requires fewer enzymes to process biomass to fuel
June 19, 2013 4:49 pm | CommentsImproved methods for breaking down cellulose nanofibers are central to cost-effective biofuel production and the subject of new research from Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. Scientists are investigating the unique properties of crystalline cellulose nanofibers to develop novel chemical pretreatments and designer enzymes for biofuel production from cellulosic—or non-food—plant derived biomass.
Expressly unfit for the laboratory
June 19, 2013 4:39 pm | CommentsA new Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study challenges the orthodoxy of microbiology, which holds that in response to environmental changes, bacterial genes will boost production of needed proteins and decrease production of those that aren’t. The study found that for bacteria in the laboratory there was little evidence of adaptive genetic response.
GTRI agile aperture antenna technology tested on autonomous ocean vehicle
June 19, 2013 4:28 pm | CommentsAntenna technology originally developed to quickly send and receive information through a software-defined military radio may soon be used to transmit ocean data from a wave-powered autonomous surface vehicle. The technology, the lowest-power method for maintaining a satellite uplink, automatically compensates for the movement of the antenna as the boat bobs around on the ocean surface.
Cheap, color, holographic video
June 19, 2013 4:13 pm | by Larry Hardesty, MIT News Office | CommentsIn the journal Nature, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab report a new approach to generating holograms that could lead to color holographic-video displays that are much cheaper to manufacture than today’s experimental, monochromatic displays. The same technique could also increase the resolution of conventional 2-D displays.
DNA constructs antenna for solar energy
June 19, 2013 8:11 am | CommentsResearchers at Chalmers Univ. of Technology have found an effective solution for collecting sunlight for artificial photosynthesis. By combining self-assembling DNA molecules with simple dye molecules, the researchers have created a system that resembles nature's own antenna system.
Multiview 3-D photography made simple
June 19, 2013 7:57 am | by Larry Hardesty, MIT News Office | CommentsThe first commercial application of computational photography is the so-called light-field camera, which can measure not only the intensity of incoming light but also its angle. However these cameras trade a good deal of resolution for that extra angle information. That is, until now.
Japan formally OKs new nuke safety requirements
June 19, 2013 7:48 am | by MARI YAMAGUCHI - Associated Press - Associated Press | CommentsJapan's nuclear watchdog formally approved a set of new safety requirements for atomic power plants Wednesday, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima disaster. The new requirements approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will take effect on July 8, when operators will be able to apply for inspections.
Solar plane to help ground energy use
June 19, 2013 1:01 am | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | CommentsWhen it's in flight, there's no roar of engines. It's strangely quiet. And as it crisscrosses the U.S., the spindly plane doesn't use a drop of fuel. Ernest Moniz, who heads the U.S. Department of Energy, praised the efficiency of the Solar Impulse plane at a news conference Monday in Washington, where the plane landed early Sunday morning. He said the solar-powered aircraft highlighted a cleaner energy future for the nation.
Scientists discuss new photo-taking satellite
June 19, 2013 12:52 am | by Dirk Lammers, Associated Press | CommentsNearly 120 scientists and engineers from around the world are meeting in South Dakota this week to discuss operational and technical issues with collecting images from the Landsat 8 satellite. In February, NASA launched the satellite, which takes images of every inch of the Earth’s surface to see what happens over time, and recently handed over operational control of it to the EROS Center.
